Do you ever feel like you're being watched?

Across the room from my painting desk and computer is a shelving unit that houses, among other things, a television, photos, sunglasses, readers, necklaces, items the girls made in school, etc. 

And sometimes when I'm at my desk ...

I feel like I'm being watched.

Move over Waldo. It's more like "Where's Baby" in our house.

Baby likes to sleep on top of my little CD player next to the TV 

(yeah, I'm still old school when it comes to music).

From her perch she can watch me painting - or transcribing - or blogging :)

And when she gets bored with me, she can watch what's going on outside the window.

Those eyes never miss a thing.
(In a cat's eyes, all things belong to cats. Old English Proverb)

 Something outside has caught her attention.

(A lovely shabby chic style Crucifix, a gift from one of the girls when they were younger)

I'm joining Show & Tell Friday this week.

Have a lovely weekend, everyone!

Donna

Vintage Religious Needlework

Our Father Who Art in Heaven...

One day while thrifting for our ETSY shop, my daughter and I came across the most amazing vintage stitchery of The Lord's Prayer.

The prayer, doves, flower basket and border are stitched on a pink satin/silk material that's oh-so-slightly faded and stained around the edges.

The old gold frame is quite chippy, adding to the charm of this piece.

I was so taken with this piece that my daughter bought it for me on the spot and told me it was for my birthday!!

It definitely shows signs of its age which again, in my eyes, adds to the beauty of this piece.

The piece is not signed or dated, so there's no way to know for certain when it was stitched or by whom. I don't know if it was a young girl or an older woman who lovingly stitched this prayer, but it was certainly a labor of love as this is quite a large piece, about 16" x 20."

And since I work from home either transcribing, painting, or managing my ETSY shops, I'm able to enjoy it every single day as it hangs in my office/studio.

I'm linking up to How Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday. Have a lovely weekend!

Donna

My creative space...

Welcome to my little cottage office/studio!
(click any photos to enlarge)

I learned of this fun "Where Bloggers Create" party through Claudia's blog...

It's being hosted by Karen at My Desert Cottage. She thought it would be fun if we shared our little creative nooks with each other... Thanks, Karen, for a great idea!

Although it's not a very big room (smaller than 8'x10'), I am so fortunate to have a space to call my own! I recently rearranged the room, so it's a bit different from when this photo was taken. But it's still full of all the things that make me smile... artwork and signs painted by my girls, old family photos, chippy windows, and lots of junktique finds like the old green desk, the vintage tablecloth covering an old file cabinet/table, and the pink lamp(s) on top of the bookcase.

I made this bulletin board out of an old chippy window by applying cork squares to the window panes with double-sided tape...

And this is my computer/blogging corner!! (Although since recently rearranging the room, the computer now sits on the green desk, which has been moved into the corner, and the white shelving unit now sits on the other side of the room).

Here's the exact same view of the room in the early 90's! As you can see, I still have the same peachy-pink wallpaper that we put up when it was Courtney's room. Court has since moved into a larger bedroom, which pleases her to no end!

I fell in love with this chippy green desk at a sidewalk sale years ago. It's one of my all-time favorite junktique finds. Some day I'll try to get better photos because the green is much prettier than in shows here...

Photos of the girls are tucked under the glass desk top, as well as some cottagey placemats that match my no-sew window valance. I painted some old black/grey office supplies so I'd have a more cottage-friendly stapler and pencil sharpener. And my best friend (the fan) is never far away!

Okay, if I ever clean/rearrange my bookcase shelves, I promise I'll show you. But trust me when I say you would not be impressed with them in their current state! I can at least show you the top of the bookcase... I got the vintage lamps & shades for a song at a second-hand store that, unfortunately, is no longer in business... Boy, do I miss that place!

There are a lot of handmade things in my office, including this eye pottery that Amanda made in high school. I think it's so unique!

I also have a small "Mary" collection in my office... A thrifted Mary sits on top of a hand-painted cigar box....

...while an old ceramic Mary (that once belonged to my Mom) hangs on the wall. Isn't the swag of crosses sweet? I got them from Lori at Katie's Rose Cottage a couple of years ago (I love her shop! The CREATE sign hanging from the mirror over the bookcase was also from her shop!)...

On the old white shelving unit (that used to house the computer), I now have a special shelf with an old Mary paint-by-number, a vintage chalkware Mary statue, a little plastic shrine (that the girls bought for me many years ago), and my mom's and nana's Mass cards in little white frames. My (black kitty) Mr. B's ashes are in the blue urn (actually a cotton ball dispenser), and little animal figurines are reminders of some of the sweet fur babies we've had. So all in all, my office/studio is filled with special memories and things that make me happy.

And about that valance that conceals the shade ... Since I have no talent in the sewing department (do you give lessons, Claudia?), I just folded 3 placemats, side-by-side, over a curtain rod and then folded crocheted doilies over the areas where the placemats overlapped. Easy breezy (it has to be for me! ha ha)

I'm looking forward to visiting everyone else's creative spaces!

Donna